Joshua knew exactly how much she had sacrificed for her son in the past.


    It wasn''t a stretch for him to believe that she would reconcile with Haynes simply to give her boy aplete family again.


    "I don''t care what happens to me," Haynes said tly. "As long as you and Keen are safe."


    His brow suddenly furrowed with worry. "The Gardners are notoriously unstable and vicious. Are you absolutely certain he won''t snap and hurt you?"


    Ste lowered her eyes, hiding the fractured emotions swirling within them.


    "He won''t. Joshua would nevery a hand on me."


    Hearing the absolute, unwavering trust she ced in her new lover sent a bitter pang through Haynes''s chest.


    "Good."


    "I''m staying here tonight," Ste informed him. "Joshua will probably show up soon. Lock the doors and do not let him in."


    Haynes was struck dumb.


    Why did he suddenly feel like he was participating in a seedy illicit affair?


    Had he really been downgraded from her ex-husband to her imaginary secret lover?


    Massaging his temples to ward off an impending headache, he grumbled, "Got it."


    With nothing left to discuss, Ste retreated to her bedroom.


    She had barely shut the door when her phone vibrated. Joshua.


    His voice came through the speaker, crisp, smooth, and dangerouslyposed. "Star. I heard... Keen flew in."


    Her knuckles turned white around the device, but she forced her tone to be ice-cold.


    "Heard"? From whom, exactly?"


    "Star..."


    "Are you having me followed, Joshua?" she snapped defensively.


    A brief, suffocating pause hung on the line before he replied.


    "I was just worried about you."


    "I don''t need your suffocating control disguised as concern," she shot back


    venomously. "I''m staying with Keen tonight. Don''t wait up."


    She hung up before he could string together a response.


    Two secondster, the screen lit up again.


    Staring at his name shing relentlessly, she powered the device offpletely.


    Keen was rarely in town, and under any other circumstance, she would have devoted the entire evening to him.


    But the crushing weight of her own deceit left her too paralyzed to y the doting mother.


    Exhausted to her core, she locked herself in her room and didn''t venture out.


    Right around dinnertime, a solid knock sounded against the wood.


    She opened it to find Haynes standing in the hallway, looking distinctly ufortable.


    "What is it?" she asked with a frown.


    "I came up to tell you dinner is ready, but..."


    He trailed off as a burst of joyousughter drifted up from the living room


    downstairs. Keen''sughter.


    "Mr. Joshua, you''re amazing!"


    Ste whipped her head toward Haynes, absolute horror and disbelief zing in her eyes.


    "Joshua is here?"


    Haynes gave a tight, miserable nod. "Yeah."


    "I explicitly told you to lock the doors!"


    "I did," Haynes sighed defensively. "Keen let him in."


    Both adults had been so wrapped up


    in the conversation earlier


    that neither had briefed the boy on the situation. .


    Naturally, their wonderfully oblivious son had happily utched the deadbolt the second he saw the


    man approaching.


    Ste pinched the bridge of her nose. "My fault. I forgot to warn him."


    Trudging downstairs, she spotted Joshua casually throwing darts with the boy in the


    rec area.


    The moment Joshuaid eyes on Haynes, a terrifying, murderous shadow passed over his features.


    But as his gaze flicked to Ste, the


    lethal edge vanished, instantly


    reced by sickeningly sweet devotion.


    Before she could unleash a barrage of anger, his smooth voice cut through the


    room.


    "Star, Keen and I already made ns. The three of us are going to the amusement park tomorrow."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!